Work shutdown rituals are more than just a trendy concept. They are a powerful tool that can transform your productivity and work-life balance. Discover why everyone, regardless of profession or lifestyle, should consider implementing a work shutdown ritual.
How you end your day is just as important as how you started it
A workday shutdown ritual should ensure that every incomplete task, goal, or project has been reviewed and that for each you have confirmed that:
- you have a plan you trust for its completion
- it’s captured in a place where it will be revisited at the right time
- When done right, having a routine to end your workday can help you to leave work at work, stop worrying about all the things left to do, and set you up to start getting things done right away in the morning
Set a time to end your workday and stick to it
If you end the workday at a certain time, you will work more efficiently throughout the day.
- Ending work at a set time also gives you a chance to relax and recharge, an essential part of long-term productivity.
Clean up your physical and digital workspaces
A 2011 study by Princeton University found that a cluttered, disorganized environment impairs our ability to focus, restricts our capacity to process information, and ultimately keeps us from doing our best work.
- End the workday by taking a minute to tidy your desk, save everything you’re working on, and close out of all your tabs and windows.
It increases your willpower
Over 100 studies provide evidence that each additional decision we make throughout the day drains our mental energy and willpower.
Review your to-done’s
Celebrate your progress to stay motivated and build momentum at work
- Small achievements produce the same psychological benefits as big ones
- Boost your mood and motivation by taking five minutes to review your completed tasks at the end of each day
Set yourself up to “Eat Your Frog” first thing in the morning
If you do your most difficult, important task of the day first, the rest will be easy
- One effective way to accomplish this is to close out all tabs at the end of the workday except for the one tab you need to complete the first thing on the to-do list
- Another way to make eating your frog easier is to start off with a “quick win”
- Before leaving work, decide on one easy task to do first thing tomorrow to help build momentum
End on a high note
Forgive yourself
- Show gratitude
- Do someone a favor
- Tidy your desk, save everything you’re working on, and close out of all your tabs and windows
- Review your completed tasks at the end of each day
- Plan tomorrow’s to-do list
Confront the things you’ve been putting off
Face whatever you’re putting off, be honest with yourself about why it’s uncomfortable, and identify one easeful next step
- Break down those tasks into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks and schedule the next step to tomorrow’s to-do list.
It helps you stop thinking about work
Numerous studies suggest that our brains are hard-wired to keep us thinking about our unfinished tasks until we’ve completed them.
- Writing out a plan to finish our uncompleted tasks provides the same mental relief as actually completing the task.
